The Hindu Business Line : Wednesday, January 14, 2004

NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY
Bengal opens up renewable energy sector
THE West Bengal Government has opened up the renewable energy sector to the private sector as well as NGOs, reserving 140 MW of the 400 MW identified potential in renewable energy projects in the State. The State Power Minister, Mr Mrinal ... More

ECONOMY
`Globalisation has widened gap between rich, poor'
GLOBALISATION has widened the disparity between rich and poor and as a result, 20 per cent of the world controls 80 per cent of the gross domestic product, while 447 billionaires have wealth greater than the income of the bottom half of humanity, ... More

Professional help at hand for trade, industry
THE Indian industry and trade can now look for intermediation and resolution of sector-specific problems from a professional group of experts who have banded together to launch a new Foundation for Promotion of Indian Industry & Trade (FPIIT) in More

FOREIGN TRADE
Pak in talks with Reliance to buy diesel
THE peace initiative between India and Pakistan has acquired an important economic dimension. Pakistan on Tuesday expressed willingness to import diesel from India. "We import 4.5 million tonnes to 5 million tonnes of diesel every year from ... More

New thrust to Indo-US ties in civilian nuclear, hi-tech areas
THE vision that the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, shared with the US President, Mr George Bush, on India-US strategic partnership is now becoming a reality. Following up on the commitment entered into in November 2001 for a ... More

Meet to discuss prospects for exports to W Europe
WHAT are the factors hampering exports to West Europe? These and other issues will be discussed at a conference organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations with the support from Ministry of Commerce at Bangalore on January ... More

FIEO pact with Kazakh chamber
THE Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan (UCCIK) in Almaty. A statement issued by FIEO said that the MoU has ... More

HEALTH
Ministry launches health melas
ON the eve of elections, the Health Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, has announced a month-long health meal under the `Swasthya Jagrukta Maah' commencing from January 15. Under the plan, health melas would be organised in all the constituencies and ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
`Urban infrastructure, the real challenge'
As Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), Mr Nasser Munjee, has his pulse on infrastructure development in the country. A monetary economist, educated at the University of ... More

Land allotted for Indo-German Institute in Vizag
THE Indo-German Institute of Advanced Technology will be set up in the industrial estate here later this year and six acres of land has been allocated for the purpose, Mr L. Lakshman, General Manager of the District Industries Centre (DIC), has ... More

PETROLEUM
500 private petro retail outlets coming up soon
THE private sector petro-marketing companies will be setting up 500 retail outlets to market petrol and diesel in the next four months, according to the Petroleum Minister, Mr Ram Naik. Inaugurating an oil and gas conference organised by Tata ... More

Post-buyout of HPCL stake — ONGC has to make 13 pc public offering in MRPL
POST buyout of Hindustan Petrochemicals Ltd's (HPCL) stake in Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will be required to make a public offering of around 13 per cent of its stake in MRPL, ... More

POWER
KSIDC signs MoU with NTPC for Kayamkulam project
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation and the National Thermal Power Corporation will on Wednesday sign a memorandum of understanding for the capacity expansion project to be taken up at the Kayamkulam ... More

WATER
Vizhinjam desalination plant ready to pump water
THE Kerala Government is firming up a proposal for supply of water to the local people from the wave-powered desalination plant at Vizhinjam, near here. The desalination plant, based on reverse osmosis technology, designed by the Chennai-based ... More

Rainwater harvesting made mandatory for new buildings in Kerala
THE State Government of has made it mandatory for all new buildings in the State to install rainwater harvesting systems. Announcing this at a press conference in the city, Mr Cherkalam Abdullah, Minister, Local Self-Government, said new ... More

CIGARETTES

Beedi workers plan protest in Karnataka

RADIO/TV
India among top Asian nations in C&S industry
IT'S no surprise that broadcasters are wrestling it out in the Indian marketplace. According to an Asia Pacific Cable & Satellite Markets (ACSM) 2004, released by Media Partners Asia (MPA), India along with China and Japan has given a fillip to . More

Desi STB makers in a fix over customs duty
THE imbroglio over the implementation of the Conditional Access System (CAS) has not only confused the consumer on whether to buy a set-top box (STB) or not, but the domestic STB manufacturers are also finding themselves in a fix. With the ... More

BEVERAGES
JPC report on safety norms for beverages soon
THE Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) set up to look into the issue of pesticides in beverages is expected to finalise its report after a meeting with officials at the Health Ministry. This meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, is ... More

GEMS & JEWELLERY
Gem & jewellery exports rise by 22.26 pc
INDIA'S gem and jewellery exports rose by 22.26 per cent to $10,646 million for the calendar 2003 against $8,707.61 million for calendar 2002. Cut and polished diamonds exports rose by 16.37 per cent to $8,023.40 million ($6,894.48 million). ... More

MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS & HOSPITALS
Small hospitals want to be rated big
WHEN two mid-sized hospitals in Nashik were graded favourably by an external rating agency on their ability to deliver high quality care, few in the business of healthcare may have taken notice. But analysts tracking the burgeoning healthcare ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Touch & glow
A glazed glass front of a new structure in Thiruvananthapuram being attended to by a worker in a trapeze act. Buildings with glazed glass fronts have caught the fancy of real estate developers and designers in the ... More

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

TN Chamber welcomes tax sops

READYMADE GARMENTS
Garment industry feels subsidy support must in post-quota era
TO compete in the free global market after the quota regime is dismantled, Indian garment exporters would need more hand holding in the form of subsidies and political trade-offs. Exporters said that the immediate requirement is subsidy ... More

WTO
US for resumption of stalled WTO trade talks
THE US Trade Representative, Mr Robert Zoellick, has called for energising the stalled global trade talks by proposing to trade ministers of more than 140 countries to evolve a "common sense" approach so that 2004 would not end up as a lost year ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Call for innovative ideas to improve rural services
IN order to improve essential rural services such as water supply and sanitation, roads, education, health, electricity and finance particularly in terms of access and quality, the New Delhi office of the World Bank has called for innovative ... More

LABOUR REFORMS
Child labour project to be launched in 50 more districts
THE Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mt Juan Somavia, will launch the National Child Labour Project (CLP) in 50 more districts on Wednesday along with the Union Labour Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma. The project ... More

EVENTS
Petroleum geophysicists to meet from Thursday
BUSINESS opportunities in the oil and petroleum sector in India, the participation of nearly 20 foreign companies and a special Student's Programme would be some of the highlights of the 5th Biennial Conference & Exposition on Petroleum ... More

Craft mela
IF you have been to the traditional `All-India Industrial Exhibition' on at the Exhibition Grounds at Nampally and wondering where to go for shopping next? Peep into the yet another `all-India' expo, an exclusive crafts mela at a stone's throw ... More

ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Entrepreneurship programme
THE Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of Andhra Pradesh (ALEAP) in collaboration with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) is conducting a month-long training programme for first generation entrepreneurs, both men and women from ... More

INCOME TAX
Charitable and religious trusts get TDS relief
THE Government appears to be in a charitable mood towards charitable and religious trusts. In a significant relief to such entities, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has allowed persons overseeing them to receive income or deemed income ... More

NATURAL CALAMITIES
Drought loss put at Rs 1,250 crore in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala has suffered extensive losses of an estimated Rs 1,250 crore in the wake of the drought-like situation stalking the State, according to the Revenue Minister, Mr K.M. Mani. The State intends to submit a ... More

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES
Natural Remedies plans to enter human healthcare segment
BULK herbal extracts major Natural Remedies Private Ltd has announced its plan to enter the national human healthcare segment with Aller 7 or NRA2, said to be the first herbal solution for allergic rhinitis. "The product is already in the US ... More

PEOPLE
ICAI Council office-bearers
KOCHI: Mr Babu Abraham Kallivayalil (left) and Mr V.C. James have been elected to the South India Regional Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Mr Kallivayalil is currently the State President of the All Kerala ... More

`Tourism Man of the Year'
KOCHI: Mr A.M. Abdul Kareem, Managing Director, Jungle Park Resort, Vythiri, Wynad, has been awarded as Tourism Man of the Year by the Thiruvananthapuram-based South Indian Tourism Promotion Council for his contribution to the tourism ... More